Til Death Do Us Part
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: Samuel Oak and Delia Ketchum, widowed neighbors, have spent several long, lonely years as acquaintances. However, when Ash sets out for his Pokemon journey in the Indigo League, the two slowly discover a love that transcends age and lasts a lifetime.
1. Til Death Do Us Part

As the hot July sun beat down, the young woman stood staring at the open grave. In her arms was a small, gurgling, dark-haired baby. Just a few days before, her husband had been alive and full of confidence. He had told her that was going to Rock Mountain to capture "the biggest Onix anyone had ever seen". What he hadn't anticipated was the rockslide that had taken his life. 

…and now she was alone.

One of the mourners came up behind her. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair.

"I'm so sorry about your husband, Mrs. Ketchum. Will was one of the most promising young Pokémon Masters that Pallet Town had ever seen."

"Thank you, Professor Oak," she said quietly with a trembling voice.

The baby in her arms started to fuss and whimper. 

"If you'll excuse me, I have to get Ash home. It's time for his nap." 

As she slowly walked away, she held Ash tightly against her. Her son was all she had left now. 

THREE MONTHS LATER

As the October leaves slowly fell, the man stood staring at the fresh grave. The headstone had been delivered that morning and he wanted to see how it looked. He read the inscription over and over:

__

Rose Oak, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother…

His wife had been batting cancer for nearly two years, but it wasn't until the last two months that it had been obvious that she was going to lose her fight. Despite all of the pain she suffered, she had died peacefully in her sleep a little over a week ago. 

…and now he was alone.

A young auburn-haired woman pushing a baby in a stroller came up beside him.

"Hello, Professor Oak."

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum. How are you?"

"I have good days and bad days," she said with a sigh. "If it weren't for Ash, things would be much worse. I keep telling myself that I have to keep going for him." She bent down and tousled her son's dark hair.

She looked down at the grave next to Rose Oak's.

"Today would've been Will's birthday," she said quietly. She picked up the bouquet of flowers that she had placed on top of Ash's stroller and held them in her arms. She then took a pink tulip out of the bouquet and placed it on Rose's grave. 

"I remember Mrs. Oak once telling me that pink was her favorite color."

He smiled. "Yes, it was her favorite color. Thank you."

She placed the rest of the flowers in the vase in front of her husband's headstone. After kneeling down and saying a silent prayer, she quickly stood up and grabbed Ash just as he was about to wiggle out of his stroller. _Headstrong just like his father_, she thought as she re-adjusted his seat belt. As she turned to go, she gently laid a hand on Professor Oak's shoulder. 

"Mrs. Oak was such a sweet woman. I'll miss her, too." She smiled sadly at him, then slowly walked away with her young son gurgling excitedly as the leaves fell on his stroller.

He watched her until she disappeared over the hill. It was a shame she was widowed so young, but she was still young and pretty. She would have no problem finding another husband. As for him, he and Rose had thirty happy years of marriage (he was glad that she had survived long enough to celebrate their anniversary earlier that year). No, he would devote the rest of his life to his work. At fifty, it was much too late for him to start over.

--- 

As the years passed, the two neighbors saw each other occasionally. He would wave to her as he passed by on his bike, she would say "hi" at the store, and they would see each other at various Pokémon festivals, but they didn't really talk to each other that much. Delia Ketchum was devoted to her fast-growing son who bore a strong resemblance to his father in both physical appearance and personality. Ash was every bit as headstrong and overconfident as his father had been. When he was five years old, he announced that he was going to be a Pokémon Master like his dad. He and his best friend, Gary Oak, would play in the backyard with old Poké balls, pretending that they were capturing Charizards, Venusaurs, Aerodactyls, and whatever wild Pokémon they could think of. Sometimes Professor Oak would stop by to pick up Gary from his play dates and would stop to talk to her for a few minutes. One thing that had always surprised him was that she had never remarried. She didn't seem interested in anything else other than raising her son.

As for him, he spent nearly every waking hour with his Pokémon. He had been studying them nearly all his life and had to admit that the years since Rose's death allowed him new opportunities that he hadn't been able to take advantage of before. He had spent nearly four months touring the Orange Islands with several of his researchers to study the effects of the tropical environment on the growth and evolution of certain types of Pokémon. He had also gone on a six-week journey to Mount Moon to study the elusive Clefairy. Some of his best research papers had been published in the last few years, mainly because he now had unlimited time to devote to them. Sometimes he would even stay up until three or four in the morning working on a problem or new theory. The only time he really missed having someone to talk to was on those really bad days like the one he had three weeks ago. He awakened that morning to discover that his favorite Rattata had died during the night, then one of his best researchers announced that he was leaving to start his own research facility. After burning dinner, he was so upset that he accidentally exposed himself to Vileplume's sleep powder. When he awoke, he discovered that he had hit his head when he had fallen and ended up with six stitches in his forehead. It was on days like that that he wished that he had someone to hold him and tell him that everything would be all right. Fortunately, those bad days were few and far between.


	2. The Journey Begins

As ten-year old Ash Ketchum departed from Pallet Town on his Pokémon quest with his new Pikachu, his mother stood beside Professor Oak at his research laboratory and called out some last-minute instructions to her son.

"Bye, sweetie! I love you! Be careful! Watch out for those wild Pokémon! Remember to eat three meals a day and get plenty of sleep! Don't forget to change your underwear every day!"

Ash's face turned bright red. He loved his mother, but sometimes she could be so, well, motherly. 

Mrs. Ketchum watched as her son disappeared down the road to Viridian City. Tears started streaming down her face.

"There goes my baby," she sniffed.

"Please don't cry, Mrs. Ketchum. Here." Professor Oak reached into his pocket and gave her his handkerchief. She blew her nose loudly in it, then handed it back to him.

"Um, that's okay….you can keep it," he said.

The crowd of well-wishers started to disperse as the new Pallet Town trainers headed off on their Pokémon journeys.

"Guess I'd better be heading back home. Good-bye, Professor." Mrs. Ketchum smiled sadly, then slowly headed down the road towards her empty house.

He felt sorry for her as he watched her go. She had spent these last ten years doing nothing but raising her son and now he was gone. 

---

She stood in the hall, just listening. 

__

It's so quiet.

Except for the sound of her own breathing and the quiet tick-tock of the clock in the next room, there was no sound at all. No Ash running down the stairs to ask her to make him a sandwich or help him find his favorite baseball cap. No Will to greet her with a kiss as she arrived or to ask her how her day was. 

No one at all. 

The silence was overwhelming.

Delia covered her face with her hands and wept.

--- 

After the tears had stopped, she decided to go dig out the old photo albums. Today she wanted to reminisce about the good times she and Will had had together. She turned to one of her favorite pictures, the one taken of the three of them just after Ash had been born. Will was holding his infant son with a look of pure love on his face.

"Oh, Will," she said out loud as she gently touched the picture, "our baby has grown up."

She sometimes talked to her husband as if he were still alive. Even though he was gone, she knew in her heart that he could still hear her. There was some comfort in that.

Memories of Will were so strong in her heart that evening that she didn't realize what she had done until she had hung up the phone. During the entire conversation with Ash, she had been referring to her husband in the present tense.

__

Ash must think I've gone crazy, she thought as she dialed Professor Oak's number.

--- 

__

Mom's been thinking about Dad again, Ash thought as he stared at the blank telephone screen. It kind of freaked him out the way his mom sometimes talked about his dad like he was still alive. But Ash understood why she acted that way, which was why he didn't correct her while he was still on the phone. She was lonely, probably even more so now that he was out of the house. 

Now he was worried about both Pikachu and his mom.

--- 

Professor Oak was waiting for his dinner to arrive when the phone rang. His cook had decided to go on a two-month trip to Europe, and he had to fend for himself as far as meals. Tonight was pizza night. 

He picked up the receiver and a pretty young woman appeared on the video screen.

"Why, hello, Mrs. Ketchum! Are you feeling any better?" He had been worried about her since she left his place that afternoon.

"Yes, thank you, Professor Oak," she replied. "I just got a call from Ash. He's at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City."

"So, he's already made it to Viridian City, eh?"

"Yes, and he'd really appreciate a call from you. He's feeling a little down right now."

"I'll give him a call right now."

"Thanks, Professor. I'd better go finish drying my hair," she said with a tiny smile. "Good-bye."

"Good-bye, Mrs. Ketchum," he said as he hung up the phone.

She really was a nice lady. Pretty, too, especially with her hair down like that. 

__

Huh? Now what in the world had put that idea in his head?

He was so distracted that he didn't realize that he had dialed the wrong number of the Viridian City Pokémon Center. 

--- 

Throughout dinner, Professor Oak found his thoughts drifting back to her. He wondered if she would be all right in that house all by herself tonight. He remembered how hard that first night had been by himself after Rose died. 

__

Maybe I should go over there and see how she's doing.

…Nonsense, she's fine. She said so herself on the phone.

Yes, she's fine now, but what about later?

…You don't know her that well. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to go over there.

Yes, but we're neighbors, and neighbors watch out for each other. 

…Since when did you appoint yourself the head of Neighborhood Watch?

It wouldn't be for more than a couple of minutes….

He was in the midst of his internal struggle when the phone rang again. He was surprised to see that the caller was Ash.

"Hi, Professor Oak. I forgot to ask you something the last time we talked."

"What is it, Ash?"

"Could you do me a favor and go check on my mom? I'm kind of worried about her since she's all alone now."

__

Talk about coincidence.

"Certainly, Ash. I'll drop by later this evening and see how she's doing."

Relief was evident on Ash's face. "Thanks, Professor Oak. See you later!"

--- 

She sat on the couch, still in her bathrobe, watching television and eating ice cream. One good thing about Ash being gone was that now she didn't have to fight with him over what programs to watch. She was getting tired of Mighty Transforming Super Mega Thunder Fighters every Saturday night.

A knock at the front door made her jump. Every sound now seemed magnified about a hundred times in the empty house. Professor Oak was standing on her front porch.

"Hello, Professor Oak," she said as she opened the door. "What are you doing here?" A worried expression crossed her face. "Is Ash all right? He's not in trouble, is he?"

He noticed the look of panic on her face and quickly reassured her. "He's fine, Mrs. Ketchum. Actually, he asked me to come over and see how you were."

"Oh, that's so sweet. Ash is so thoughtful." She opened the door a little wider. "Would you like to come in for a minute, Professor?" 

"Oh, no thank you. I really can't stay. I have to get back to the lab and back to my research." He paused for a second. "Mrs. Ketchum, if you ever need anything, please feel free to call me or stop by my lab."

She smiled. "Thank you, Professor. I'll do that."

"Well, good night, then."

"Good night," she said as she shut the door.

Something about the way she had looked in that bathrobe with her hair down had touched him. She seemed so young and vulnerable standing there, and he had felt overcome by an urge to protect her. He decided then that he would look out for her until he found someone else who would. He was definitely going to make a point of introducing her to his researchers the next time she stopped by his place. There were plenty of eligible young men at his lab; perhaps one of them would take an interest in her. Mrs. Ketchum was way too young to be spending the rest of her life alone. And as for him…he chuckled at the absurdity of the thought. He was way too old for her. Much too old.


	3. Matchmaker

A few days later, Professor Oak rode his bike over to the Ketchum house. 

"Mrs. Ketchum? Are you here?" No one answered. "Mrs. Ketchum?"

Delia's head popped out from behind the house. "Professor Oak," she smiled. "This is a nice surprise. What brings you here?"

"I had a message from Ash this morning. He said that he tried to call you, but no one answered the phone."

"Oh, I've been outside working in my garden all morning. I didn't hear the phone ring." She wiped the sweat off of her brow and ended up rubbing a smudge of dirt on her forehead.

"Ash wanted to let you know that he caught his first Pokémon yesterday….a Caterpie!"

" A Caterpie? What's that?" she asked with a quizzical look on her face.

"It's a bug-type Pokémon that's commonly found in forest-type habitats. It's quite abundant in Viridian Forest. Caterpie has several strong attacks, including tackle and string shot. Caterpie is also one of the fastest evolving Pokémon, turning into Metapod, then Butterfree. Bug-type Pokémon such as Caterpie are strong against psychic and grass-type Pokémon in battles, but they're weak against fire and flying types such as…"

He stopped talking when he realized that he was telling her far more than she probably ever wanted to know about Caterpie. He did get carried away when it came to Pokémon.

Instead of telling him to shut up, Mrs. Ketchum smiled and said, "That sounds very interesting. Caterpie sounds like a very nice Pokémon. I'm afraid I don't know much about Pokémon other than the ones that live around Pallet Town." 

Suddenly, Professor Oak had a brilliant idea. "Mrs. Ketchum, would you like to learn more about Pokémon?"

"Oh, yes!" she said excitedly. "Especially about the ones that Ash might see on his journey!"

"Well, then, come by my lab tomorrow around four and I'll give you the grand tour. You know, we've been neighbors all these years, and I don't think I've ever shown you around the place."

"That sounds lovely. I'll see you then."

---

When she stopped by the next day, Professor Oak made sure to introduce her to every eligible bachelor that worked at his lab, from his top researchers down to the caretaker of the stable where the Ponyta lived.

After she left, several of the men asked Professor Oak about the pretty young woman. He was more than happy to tell them that Mrs. Ketchum was indeed single and encouraged them to ask her out.

And she did go out with a few of them. She briefly dated Juan del Fuego, a brilliant young research assistant; Seth Greene, the caretaker who managed the grass-type Pokémon habitat; and Tyler Brooks, a graduate student who had come to Professor Oak's lab to do his thesis on the evolution of Staryu into Starmie. But she never seemed to date anyone more than two or three times before deciding to end the relationship.

Professor Oak decided to ask her about it the next time he stopped by, which was fairly often. Whenever he received a message from Ash, he would ride over to the Ketchum house and let her know how her son was doing. Most of the time, she had already received the same message from Ash, but Mrs. Ketchum was always very appreciative of him taking time out from his busy schedule to deliver Ash's message personally. She always invited him to come in for cookies and lemonade, but most of the time he couldn't stay long because he had to get back to the lab. However this had been an unusually slow day, so he decided to take her up on her invitation. 

"These chocolate chip cookies are delicious, Mrs. Ketchum. No wonder Ash says that he misses your cooking." He was talking with his mouth full.

"I'll have to send him some cookies the next time he lets me know where I can reach him. Chocolate chip was always Ash's favorite."

"Mine too." He decided to change the subject. "I had some interesting news this morning. Juan del Fuego's younger brother, Carlos, will be joining my lab next week."

She finished pouring each of them a glass of lemonade and sat down across from him at the small table in kitchen.

"Is he a fire-type Pokémon expert, too?"

"Actually, Carlos' main interest is ice-type Pokémon. I'll have to introduce you to him when he gets in."

"Why, Professor Oak…are you trying to set me up with another one of your staff members?" She gave him a teasing smile.

__

Ouch. Had it been that obvious that he was trying to set her up?

"Mrs. Ketchum, can I ask you a personal question?"

"What?" Her face grew serious.

"How come you never remarried?"

"Well, why didn't _you_?" she replied. 

He leaned back in his chair. "Mrs. Ketchum, my wife and I had thirty wonderful years of marriage together. But Pokémon have always been the center of my life, long before even Rose came along. Ever since I was a baby, my father always took me with him on his research expeditions. He was a Pokémon professor too, and like him, I've decided to devote my life to these amazing creatures."

"That's wonderful, how much you care about Pokémon," she said with admiration. "Pokémon are the center of your life, and Ash is the center of mine. He's all that I have left in this world."

"I have no doubts that you're a wonderful mother. You've done a fine job of raising Ash by yourself." She smiled, slightly embarrassed at the compliment. "But what are you going to do when Ash grows up? He's already off on his Pokémon journey, and in a few short years he'll be a man out on his own." 

Her smile faded and her lower lip started to tremble. "I-I don't know." 

"Mrs. Ketchum," he spoke softly, "I'm nearly sixty years old, not exactly a spring chicken. But you, you're what…thirty? Thirty-five?"

"Thirty-three."

"You've still got a long life ahead of you. It would be a shame for you to spend the rest of it living alone in this house."

"I appreciate your concern, Professor Oak, but I'm fine with things the way they are. Really." She stood up and turned to face the sink. She didn't want him to see the tears starting in her eyes.

He had touched a nerve. The easy mood between them was gone. 

The beeping of his pager broke the awkward silence. One of his graduate students was having trouble with an unruly Growlithe and needed his help.

He didn't want to leave her then, especially after he seeing that had made her upset. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. There's trouble back at the lab." He stood up and walked to the door. "Thank you again for the refreshments." She didn't answer as he left her still standing at the sink with her back to him.

--- 

The next afternoon, he showed up again at the Ketchum house.

"Professor Oak, this is a surprise," Mrs. Ketchum said as she opened the door. "I wasn't expecting you. Have you heard from Ash again?"

"N-no," he stammered apologetically, "I…I came to apologize for what I said yesterday. I had no business interfering in your life like that."

To his surprise, instead of telling him off, she actually smiled. "You were just being concerned for me, like any good neighbor…or good friend would be. Besides, I thought about what you said yesterday, and you were right. I've decided that I do need to get out and meet more people, so I decided to join the Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol."

"That's a splendid idea, Mrs. Ketchum. They go to all the Pokémon matches where the Pallet Town trainers like Ash are competing. I host a Pokémon League Championship party for them every year at my house. They go on trips to the beach, the mountains, to festivals; you'll have a lot of fun with them."

"Well, good. Then I'm glad I joined them." She looked at the clock on the wall. "I was in the middle of making dinner. Would you care to join me? I think there's enough spaghetti here for two people."

Why not? All he had to look forward to at home was tofu. Things had been rough lately since his cook had decided to retire.

He smiled. "Mrs. Ketchum, I would love to stay for dinner."

"Go back to the patio and sit down. It's such a warm evening that we can eat outside." She hurried back inside to check on her spaghetti.

He walked past the side of the house and found a beautiful little garden. Now he understood why she spent so much time working here. There were flowers of every shape, size, and color: the vibrant Articuno blue violets, the fiery Charmander orange lilies, bright little red flowers known as "Jynx Pinks". He was admiring the climbing roses when she appeared with dinner.

It was a pleasant evening for both of them. They talked about the usual things: what Ash was doing on his travels, what was going on at the lab, how nice the weather had been lately. As the evening wore on, they started sharing stories about their long-deceased spouses. Professor Oak told her about the time Rose had surprised him on his birthday with a Mankey that went bezerk and ended up nearly destroying their house. Delia laughed so hard that tears started rolling down her cheeks. Then she told him about how when she and Will had been dating, he had decided to impress her by riding a wild Tauros. In less than two seconds, Will was thrown off of the Pokémon's back and landed face down in a pile of Tauros manure. Now it was Professor Oak's turn to laugh.

Two hours later they were still in the backyard, but they had moved to the bench under the large Pokéberry tree in the corner of the yard. Professor Oak was pointing out to her the various constellations in the night sky.

"…and over there is Rapidash. See the four long legs and tail? And there are three legendary birds, Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. If you look at the tip of Zapdos' right wing, it forms the tail of Raichu…"

"…the evolved form of Pikachu," she concluded.

"Very good, Mrs. Ketchum. I'm impressed."

"Well, I have learned a few things by talking to you," she said with a grin.

He glanced at his watch. _Oh my gosh, it was nearly nine o'clock!_

"Aaugh! I didn't realize it was so late." He quickly jumped up from the bench. "I was having such a good time that I ended up losing track of it. My researchers and grad students will be wondering what happened to me."

"Wait, I'll walk you to the front gate. This yard can be kind of tricky if you're not familiar with it." Just as she had gotten the words out of her mouth, he tripped over a garden hose. 

She quickly grabbed his arm before he fell. "Oops. Are you okay?"

"I think so." Actually, standing there with her holding onto his arm felt pretty good. She stayed by his side until he reached the gate in the front of her house. 

"Well, thanks for the wonderful evening, Mrs. Ketchum."

"I had a wonderful time, too, Professor Oak. Feel free to stop by again anytime." 

"Good night," he called out as she walked back to her door, waved, and went inside the house.

He whistled a little tune to himself as he walked back home. It was nice to have someone to talk to again.


	4. Beauty and the Beach

The next few months were busy ones for both of them. Mrs. Ketchum loved being part of the Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol and participated in almost all of their activities. Professor Oak was busy, too. His grandson Gary regularly forwarded so many new Pokémon to the lab that he didn't have much time to do anything else but work on expanding the Pokémon storage facilities. But no matter how busy he was, he still would visit the Ketchum house whenever he heard from Ash (or whenever he was in the mood for cookies and lemonade, which was becoming more and more often). This afternoon, the two of them sat at the kitchen table when Delia spoke up excitedly.

"Did you hear that the Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol is planning a trip to Puerta Vista this weekend?"

"Yes. I'd love to go, but I'm just too busy now at the lab," he said. "Between Gary's and your son's latest additions, I'm having to spend almost every waking minute trying to figure out where to put all of these Pokémon."

She looked at him pointedly. "When was the last time you had a vacation?"

That was a good question. It had been so long that he couldn't even recall the last time he had taken one. 

"That settles it. You're coming with us this weekend. You need to take a break from working so hard and enjoy yourself once in a while."

"Well, I guess I could leave one of the researchers in charge for a day or two," he said. Maybe she was right - a vacation did sound appealing. And he could always carry his pager in case something did happen at the lab while he was gone.

That weekend Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol rented a bus and reserved a block of rooms at the Puerta Vista White Sands Hotel. Once the group had arrived and got settled, Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum decided to check out the beach. They agreed to meet downstairs in the lobby, but when Delia arrived no one was there except a man wearing sunglasses, an outrageous Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Professor Oak?"

The man in the Hawaiian shirt turned around to face her. "Ah, Mrs. Ketchum, there you are! Ready to hit the beach?"

She tried hard not to laugh at his outrageous outfit. She was so used to seeing him in a lab coat that this was so…

"It's too much, isn't it?" He has seen the expression on her face.

"Actually, I think it's quite refreshing to see you in something other than a lab coat, Professor," she smiled. "Let's head to the beach!"

He offered to carry her things and ended up lugging a beach chair, umbrella, tote bag, cooler, and about a dozen other items behind her as she searched for a perfect spot on the sand.

"Here. This looks like a good spot. Let's go for a swim!" 

His jaw dropped as she took off her cover-up to reveal a bright green bikini. She had a great body – tall, thin, yet still curvy in all the right places. Professor Oak found himself admiring her curves appreciatively. He had never realized until now what an incredibly sexy woman Delia Ketchum was. Urges that had been dormant for years suddenly started to resurface. 

__

Stop it, Samuel, he told himself. _You're acting like a dirty old man, lusting after Mrs. Ketchum like that! You should be ashamed of yourself._

But he _was _still a man, after all. He was studying her long, shapely legs when her voice jerked him back to his senses.

"Professor Oak, is something wrong? You're staring at me."

His face reddened. If she only knew what he was thinking! He dropped the pile of beach items and ran for the water. There wasn't a cold shower around, so the ocean would have to do. He needed to cool off.

---

Later that afternoon, he made a fool of himself again at the Puerta Vista Beauty Pageant. They had run into Ash, Misty, and Brock while walking along the boardwalk and ended up at a rather crazy beauty contest where Team Rocket (including James in a bikini, no less) tried to run off with everyone's Pokémon. Once Team Rocket had blasted off again, the contest resumed with a surprise last-minute entry. As Mrs. Ketchum walked onto the stage, Ash was in the middle of asking Professor Oak a question about the Vermillion City gym. Professor Oak was so distracted by her appearance that he didn't hear Ash's question and accidentally called him Brock. 

__

That's weird, thought Ash_. I guess old people do get forgetful when they get older._ "Um, Professor Oak?"

Professor Oak was staring at the stage with a dreamy expression on his face, not unlike how Brock acted around a pretty girl.

__

Poor Professor Oak, Ash said to himself_, Now his hearing's going, too. _

After Mrs. Ketchum was named the winner of the contest, she and Professor Oak stood on the beach and waved as Ash, Brock, and Misty continued onward to the next gym. 

"Congratulations again on your win, Mrs. Ketchum. I think this calls for a celebration, don't you?" He was about to suggest going to dinner when a portly man ran puffing up to them.

"Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Ketchum! I'm glad I caught up with you." The man bowed slightly. "I'm Mr. Promo, the director of the Puerta Vista Beauty Pageant. I just wanted to let you know that you need to be at the town square at six o'clock tonight to open the Puerta Vista Town Festival."

"What?" Delia was clearly confused.

"Every year," Mr. Promo continued, "the winner of the Puerta Vista Beauty Pageant begins the ceremony that opens our annual town festival. It's a long-standing, time-honored tradition. I'll see you then at six!" Mr. Promo started puffing off in the opposite direction.

"But wait! What exactly am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"Don't worry," he called back. "It's nothing much, really."

"Nothing much" turned out to be striking a huge gong in the town square, making a short speech, having her picture taken with several Puerta Vista dignitaries, then dancing with every eligible male at the block party. By the end of the evening, she was exhausted. Her feet hurt, her head hurt, even her face hurt from smiling so much. She was beginning to wish that she had never won the contest in the first place. She was in the middle of her second dance with the Puerta Vista mayor when Professor Oak came up behind him.

"Excuse me, but may I cut in?"

"Certainly, Professor Oak. It would be an honor for our town if the world's top Pokemon researcher would dance with our local beauty queen." The mayor stepped aside and left them alone.

He took her hand. "I would've asked earlier, but I haven't been able to get near you all evening." 

She stifled a yawn. "Excuse me. I'm so tired from being the center of attention all night." Just then the upbeat song ended and the tempo changed to a slow, romantic tune.

"Do you want to sit this one out?" he asked her.

"No," she said. "The music's so….soothing." She moved close to him, laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

A tingling jolt not unlike a Pikachu's thundershock went through him as she pressed her body to his. She was so soft and warm. Her hair felt like silk as it brushed against his cheek. She was so close that he could smell the honeysuckle-scented shampoo she used. He fought hard to control his desires as she sighed and nuzzled against his neck.

__

She's just a friend…she's just a friend…she's just a friend, he recited over and over in his head like a mantra. He was so intent on trying to ignore what he felt that he didn't notice that the music had stopped. Delia hadn't noticed either. She was asleep.

He gently shook her. "I think the dance is over, Mrs. Ketchum." The band was starting to pack up.

She opened her eyes and blushed, feeling embarrassed at having fallen asleep in the middle of dancing. "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired," she yawned again.

He took her arm. "I'll walk you back to your room."

As soon as they arrived back at the hotel, his pager started beeping. _Not now_, he thought. It was from Martin Terra, the research assistant that he had left in charge of the lab. He searched for a phone in the hotel lobby as Delia curled up in one of the chairs and started to fall asleep. 

Two of the Ponyta at the ranch had fallen ill with fevers and coughing. Martin didn't think they were sick enough for Professor Oak to return to Pallet Town, but he needed some advice on how to treat them. Martin was an expert on ground-type Pokémon, not fire types.

__

This might take a while, he thought. He looked over at Delia, whose head was nodding. 

"Mrs. Ketchum? Do you think you can make it back to your room all right?"

She opened her eyes. "I think so. I'm only on the second floor." She got up and slowly walked up the staircase that was next to the phone.

He watched her until she had made her way completely up the stairs, then turned his attention back to his assistant. "Martin? If you'll look in the cabinet that's at the far end of the room where the Ponyta food is prepared, you'll find some medicine…"

---

The next morning, Delia was awakened by a knock at her hotel room door. She opened her eyes and glanced at the clock. Who in the world would be knocking at her door at seven twenty-eight in the morning? 

"Mrs. Ketchum, are you awake?" It was Professor Oak.

She got out of bed, not bothering to comb her hair or find a robe or slippers, and unlocked the door.

"Mrs. Ketchum? I…oh, there you are." She stood there in a blue nightshirt with her long auburn hair tumbling down below her shoulders. 

__

He must think I look like a mess, she thought to herself.

Actually, he was in the middle of reliving the memory of how soft her hair felt against his face last night.

"What's wrong, Professor?" She looked worried.

"I'm so sorry to wake you, but I'm afraid that I have to go back to Pallet Town. My assistant called early this morning, and seven of my Ponyta are ill. Nurse Joy is with them now, but she can't make a conclusive diagnosis. I have to go back and help her find out what's wrong with them." He hated to leave her. "I'll be taking the morning train back to Pallet Town, but I didn't want to leave without saying good-bye."

"I'll pack my things and return with you," she said.

"No. Stay here and enjoy the rest of the weekend with the other folks from Pallet Town," he insisted. "I'd hate to spoil your vacation. I ran into Mrs. Newberry on the way down here and she mentioned that several of the women were planning a trip to the Puerta Vista Gardens this afternoon."

"Well, all right," she said, disappointed.

"I did have a nice vacation, even if it was for less than twenty-four hours." He smiled at her. 

She smiled back. "I hope that your Ponyta get better soon. When I get back to Pallet Town, I'll send over some medicine that I used to give Ash when he was sick. I made it from the herbs in my garden, and it really does work."

She was such a good friend. He really hated to leave her.

"I don't want you to miss your train. You'd better get going, Professor Oak."

He paused for a moment. "Mrs. Ketchum, I…I wish…I'd like it very much if you would start calling me by my first name. Samuel."

"Then you must call me Delia."

"All right then. Good-bye…Delia," he said shyly.

"Good-bye, Samuel."

__

Now what was that all about, she wondered as she closed the door and plopped back down on the bed. They'd been on a two-name basis for so long that it was odd calling him by his first name. As she lay there, the realization suddenly hit her. Everything now made sense: the way he was staring at her at the beach, how he was watching her intently during the beauty contest, and when they were dancing last night she could feel his heart pounding even though it was a slow song.

__

Oh my gosh, he's attracted to me.

She had to admit that she was somewhat attracted to him, too. He had nice eyes, a nice smile, and she hadn't been disappointed when he first took his shirt off at the beach yesterday. (After the first time they had eaten dinner together, he had started working out with Machamp and Machoke during their morning exercise routines…weight lifting, martial arts, boxing. Gary had even teased him about it: _What're you doing, Grandpa? Got a girlfriend you're trying to impress_? He had laughed it off and told his grandson that he was studying the physiology of the Pokémon during exercise, but Gary had actually been right on the mark.) But most importantly, Professor Oak was a good friend and neighbor who was genuinely concerned for her well-being. She had been touched by the way he had walked her back to the hotel last night. He had even stopped by her room after he had finished making his phone call to make sure she had gotten back safely.

She smiled up at the ceiling. She and Professor Oak. He was quite a bit older than she was, but so what? 

Things were definitely going to be different when she got back to Pallet Town.


	5. So Near, Yet So Far Apart

Things continued pretty much the same as they had before.

Even though they were on a first-name basis when they were alone, they still referred to each other in public as Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum. After all these years, they were just used to it. Besides, they didn't want to give everyone the false impression that something other than friendship was going on between them.

The Ponyta recovered from their mysterious illness, which turned out to be an allergic reaction to a smokescreen attack by an angry runaway Koffing.

Ash sent Professor Oak a herd of Tauros from the Safari Zone which resulted in Professor Oak spending several weeks building a fence and facilities in the nature preserve to house them. Between that project and expanding the lab's storage facility to house Gary's growing collection of Pokémon (already numbering well over 100), not to mention caring for the rapidly increasing numbers of Pokémon, Professor Oak didn't have much free time these days. He still continued to stop by the Ketchum house with news of Ash, but wasn't able to stay for more than a few minutes because there was just too much to do back at the lab. He hoped that once things had settled down and construction of the new facilities was complete, he'd be able to spend more free time with her. Unfortunately, any hopes of furthering his intimacy with Delia were dashed when Ash, Misty, and Brock returned from their Pokémon journey and spent the next two months living in the Ketchum household along with Mimie, Mrs. Ketchum's new Pokémon. On the rare occasions that he was able to stop by, one of the kids (usually Ash) would ask him about their Pokémon or the Pokémon League. He didn't mind, since helping young Pokémon trainers was one of the greatest joys in his life, but he wished that he could see Delia alone. She was too busy either fixing meals for the kids or cleaning up after them or showing Mimie how to help her out around the house. The one time she had invited him over for dinner turned out to be a disaster: Brock's Vulpix accidentally set the tablecloth on fire while lighting the candles, then Misty's Starmie ended up soaking everyone when it tried to douse the flames.

One day, Ash stopped by the laboratory.

"Hi, Professor Oak." Ash wandered in and stood next to the computer where Professor Oak was working. "My mom wants to know if you'd like to go on a trip to Seafoam Islands with her this afternoon."

"Alone?" He had a ton of work to do categorizing Gary's latest batch of Pokémon, but visions of a bikini-clad Delia obliterated any idea of further work on his database. He'd gladly stay up all night catching up on work if it meant spending a few hours alone with her.

"Well, no. It's with some of her friends from the Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol. She would've asked you herself, but she's busy cleaning up the mess that Psyduck and Squirtle made when they were helping her wash the dishes."

The bubble of optimism burst. He wanted to be with Delia alone, not with twenty other people around. 

"I'd like to go, but I'm afraid I'm too busy right now. Tell your mother that I'm sorry."

"Okay. " Ash jumped up and left.

When was he ever going to be alone with her again?


	6. Mood Indigo

Eventually Ash, Misty, and Brock departed for Indigo Plateau and the chaos that reigned at the Ketchum household subsided. That evening at the annual Pokémon League Championship party at the Oak house, Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum sat side by side on the couch (which was the closest they'd been to each other in over two months) and watched as Ash and Gary marched in the opening ceremonies. The mood was even more jovial the following evening when the crowd watched Gary then Ash easily beat their first-round opponents. 

"You should be very proud of your son, Mrs. Ketchum," Professor Oak said after Ash had just finished winning his match.

"Oh, I am, Professor," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

He would've liked to have held her then, but that wouldn't have been appropriate with thirty other people around. He had to settle for sitting next to her on the couch.

Early on the morning of Gary and Ash's fourth round, Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak departed for Indigo Plateau. They had planned to go earlier to see the second and third round matches, but Mimie had come down with a Pokemon version of the flu and Delia didn't want to leave until she was sure that Mimie would be all right. 

"Oh, I hope Mimie will be okay by himself," she worried as Professor Oak placed their suitcases in the back of his car.

"Mimie will be fine. Nurse Joy checked on him this morning, and one of my research assistants promised to stop by and check on him. I even examined Mimie myself, and I'm convinced that he's not seriously ill. Please don't worry." He held the car door open for her and she stepped inside.

"Now, did we forget anything?" Professor Oak asked as he started the engine.

"Did you remember to bring clean underwear?" Delia asked.

"What?!" Professor Oak's face turned bright red.

"Whenever we went on a trip, Ash would always forget to bring clean underwear," Delia explained. "That's why I have to keep reminding him. His father was the same way. I think it's a guy thing."

"Uh, I think I packed everything I need for this trip," Professor Oak said. Any more remarks like that and he would definitely need some clean underwear.

On the way in, they ran into Gary and his weeping entourage and learned of his defeat at the hands of a more experienced trainer.

"I'm so sorry about Gary," Mrs. Ketchum said. "He must be so disappointed."

"Learning to accept defeat is an important step in becoming a Pokémon Master," Professor Oak said. "I love my grandson, but honestly, he needs to learn some humility. Losing will be good for Gary."

After Ash's victory, Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak went back to their hotel to check in (where they were a bit surprised to learn that they had been assigned adjoining rooms). They then wandered over to the cabin where Ash and his friends were staying because Mrs. Ketchum wanted to surprise her son with a home-cooked meal. Upon learning that Ash's cabin had no stove, Mrs. Ketchum suggested eating at the hotel restaurant instead…where she then evicted the chef from his own kitchen to prepare croquettes and fried shrimp.

After being rescued from a stranded elevator on the way out of the restaurant, Ash and his new friend Richie took off in pursuit of a van ordering trainers to turn in their Pokémon for physicals. Brock then spotted Officer Jenny and dashed off to declare his love for her. Misty decided to take Togepi back to their cabin for a nap, leaving Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum alone.

They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town: window-shopping, seeing the sites of Indigo Plateau, checking out the souvenir stands, and occasionally a young trainer would recognize Professor Oak and stop to ask him something about Pokémon. As twilight fell, the pair ended up in a peaceful little park just off the town square. They stood side by side on a bridge and watched in silence as the brook babbled underneath.

"It's so peaceful here," sighed Delia.

"You know, I think this is the first time we've truly been alone in weeks," said Professor Oak.

"I know. Between having Ash and his friends at home and you being so busy at the lab, we really haven't had much time to talk lately, have we?"

"That's a shame, really. I've missed our cookies and lemonade conversations." He smiled at her. "I enjoy talking with you."

She smiled back. "I do, too."

"Delia, when we get back to Pallet Town do you think that you and I could…"

"Professor Oak! Mrs. Ketchum!" Brock came running up to them, followed by Misty and Togepi.

"What is it, Brock?" Mrs. Ketchum asked.

"Have you seen Ash?" 

"Not since this afternoon when he and his little friend took off after that van," she said. 

"Ash still isn't back," said Misty worriedly. "He never returned to the cabin."

"We went to Richie's place, and he hasn't been back, either," Brock continued.

"Now, I wouldn't worry too much," Professor Oak said. "Ash and his new friend probably went off to explore the town or the woods around Indigo Plateau and lost track of time."

"Still," said Mrs. Ketchum worriedly, "maybe we should go back to the hotel in case Ash tries to call." 

"That's a good idea," said Brock. "I'll keep looking around town."

"And I'll go back to the cabin in case Ash does show up," Misty said.

"If he's not back by tomorrow morning, then we'll let Officer Jenny know," said Professor Oak.

Later that evening at the hotel, Professor Oak decided to check on Mrs. Ketchum. He gently knocked at the door connecting their rooms. A very worried Delia opened the door.

"It's getting late, Delia," Professor Oak said. "Why don't you try to get some rest?"

"I can't sleep knowing that Ash may be out there in trouble. I wish he'd call."

"Tell you what," he said, "Since the rest of the fourth-round matches are tomorrow and Ash isn't competing in those, I was planning on staying up late to work on some research that I brought from the lab." He indicated a laptop and a pile of papers strewn on the table. "You go get some sleep, and I'll stay up to listen for the phone in case Ash calls."

She looked a little less worried then. "All right, then. Thank you."

"No problem. Good night, Delia."

"Good night, Samuel." She went back into her room and shut the door.

He stayed up until nearly 3 AM, but Ash never called. 


	7. Seeing Things

The next morning, a search party was organized and Ash and Richie were found wandering in the woods after having being abducted by Team Rocket. A very relieved Mrs. Ketchum was happy to have her son back and spent the rest of the morning with him while Professor Oak tried to catch up on some sleep.

Later that afternoon, Ash went off to see who his next opponent would be in the fifth round match. 

"…and be sure to let me know the minute you get back!" his mother continued as he started down the path to the contestants' pavilion.

"Okay, Mom," Ash cringed. The other contestants didn't have to let their mothers know where they would be every minute of the day. 

Professor Oak showed up at the cabin soon after Ash left.

"How's Ash?" he asked Mrs. Ketchum.

"He's fine," she responded as she bent over to pick up a pair of jeans Ash had thrown on the floor. "How are you?"

"Better, since I had a nap." He was studying her rear end with interest. " I came over to see what you would like to do this afternoon."

"Well, first, I'm going to pick up every bit of clothing that's lying on this floor, then I'm going to do Ash's laundry and sweep up this place…"

"Delia, I think Ash has plenty of clean underwear," he said. "Why don't we go get some ice cream instead?"

---

Misty was out window-shopping with Togepi downtown. Ash was out with Richie, and Brock was chasing after yet another pretty young Pokémon trainer, so she had the afternoon to herself.

"Oh, look, Togepi! A fountain!" Misty said excitedly. "Let's go take a look! Maybe I can let some of my Pokémon loose to play in it." As Misty approached the fountain, she spotted two familiar faces sitting at one of the benches around the fountain.

"Look, Togepi. It's Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak." They were sitting on the bench with their backs to her. "Why don't we sneak up and surprise them? Won't that be fun?"

"Togi-togi-piii!" her little Pokémon agreed.

When Misty got within about twenty feet of them she stopped. Professor Oak had moved his arm so that it rested on the back of the bench. His fingers gently brushed against Delia's shoulder.

__

That's odd, Misty thought. She knew that Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak were neighbors, but there was something about that gesture that seemed a little more than neighborly. Hoping that they wouldn't see her, Misty ducked behind a row of bushes.

"I know it's not right to eavesdrop, Togepi," Misty told her Pokémon. "But there's something strange going on here."

"Ready to go?" Mrs. Ketchum asked.

Professor Oak finished the last bite of his ice cream cone and nodded.

"Oh, wait," she said. "You've got a bit of ice cream on your face." She gently lifted her hand to his face and lightly rubbed a spot next to his lip with her thumb. But instead of lowering her hand, the two of them remained motionless for a few seconds looking into the other's eyes. Her tender gesture had sparked a more intimate connection.

Misty watched the entire scene in fascination. _Unless I'm seeing things_, she thought_, Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak are more than just neighbors._

They were also coming her way, so Misty scrambled to her feet. Togepi then jumped out of her arms and ran straight towards Mrs. Ketchum.

"Why, hello, Togepi!" She knelt down to pat the little Pokémon's head. "What are you doing here?"

"Togepi!" Misty hissed from behind the bushes. "Come back here!" She looked up and saw Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum staring at her with odd expressions on their faces.

"Uh, hi, Professor Oak. Mrs. Ketchum." Misty blurted out. "Just out taking Togepi for a little walk. Gotta go, bye!" She hurriedly scooped up her Pokémon and ran in the opposite direction.

Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.


	8. Sleepless In Indigo Plateau

Later that evening, Professor Oak sat at his laptop in his hotel room. One of the young Pokémon trainers had asked him about information on the properties of the mushroom that grew on the back of a Parasect, so he was doing some research on that particular topic. He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door that connected his room with Mrs. Ketchum's. Delia stood there in a robe.

"I'm sorry to bother you," she looked apologetic. "But I couldn't sleep and I saw the light on under the doorway."

"You're not bothering me at all. Please come in." He glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight.

"I've been tossing and turning for the last hour," she said as she sat down in the chair opposite him. "I'm just worried about Ash and his match tomorrow. It must be so hard for him to have to battle his new friend."

"I wouldn't worry, Delia," he said reassuringly. "If they're good friends, they won't let the outcome of a battle ruin their friendship." 

"I guess you're right," she said. "But that doesn't mean that I won't stop worrying about my little pumpkin."

"Would you like some tea?" he offered. "I believe that there's some chamomile around here….ah, yes, there it is. I'll have it brewed in a jiffy." 

"I didn't know you liked chamomile," she smiled.

"You were the one who got me hooked on it. And you were right…it is just the thing for those sleepless nights." He handed her a cup and sat down in the chair facing her. 

"Mmmm, this is good," she sighed.

"Perhaps you'd be more comfortable if you decided to lie down," he suggested. "You look a bit uncomfortable in that chair." 

Delia looked over at the bed. It was covered with clothes, papers, a pair of shoes, a half-eaten bag of potato chips, and various other items.

__

Typical male, she thought to herself. Ash never could keep his room clean.

"I would if I could find a spot." She picked up a pile of socks from the bed and started to sort them.

"Oh no, no. Don't worry about that," he said as he gathered up the items on the bed and dumped them in a pile on the floor.

She laid down on the bed and propped her head up with a pillow.

"Wait," he said. He gently fluffed her pillow. "Now lie back."

"You're spoiling me, Samuel."

"Nonsense, I just want you to relax and be comfortable," he said. "Too bad I don't have a sound file of Jigglypuff's Slumber Song on my computer. That would put you right to sleep." He sat down beside her on the bed and picked up the remote. "How about some TV instead? Sometimes when I can't fall asleep, I'll find something to watch." He searched through several channels until he found a documentary on the origin of the prehistoric Pokémon Kabutops.

"Oh, this was the documentary that my friend Bill said that he was working on the last time I spoke with him," he said. "Is this okay?"

"Sure," Delia said as she sipped her tea. 

"Well, that was just fascinating," Professor Oak said an hour later as he turned off the TV. "I'll have to talk to Bill about this some more when I get back. He has some amazing theories on…" he stopped in mid-sentence.

Delia was asleep.

When she awoke the next morning, she couldn't figure out why she wasn't in her room and still in her robe until she looked up and saw that Professor Oak had covered her with his lab coat. Just then, his head popped through the door connecting the two rooms.

"Ah, I thought I heard you wake up. How did you sleep?" He handed her a cup of hot tea.

"Quite well, actually. The last thing I remember is watching a bunch of Kabuto swimming," she said. "What time is it?"

Professor Oak looked at his watch. "Nine thirty-seven. Ash's match isn't until five, so you can rest a bit more if you like."

"Where did you sleep last night?" she asked.

"In your room. You looked so peaceful last night that I hated to wake you." _And rather desirable_, he thought to himself. He wouldn't have trusted himself to stay in the same room with her.

"Are you all right?" He noticed that she was rubbing the back of her neck.

"My neck's a little sore from sleeping propped up last night. Could you rub it a little for me, please?"

"O-okay," he stammered. He sat down behind her on the edge of the bed. His palms were sweating.

"Mmmm, that feels good," she murmured as he massaged the back of her neck. 

__

She's just a friend…she's just a friend…she's just a friend…she's just a friend….Professor Oak was trying hard not to concentrate on how sensual she just sounded.

"Thank you, Samuel. That feels much better." She turned to face him. "And thank you for being so kind to me last night. You're a good man, Samuel Oak."

"Well, what are friends for?" he said with a nervous laugh.

She smiled and slowly moved her face towards his. She kissed him softly on the lips.

"That's for being a good friend." She stood up. "Guess I'd better go get ready for the match today."

Professor Oak sat on the bed, stunned by what had just happened. He sincerely hoped that Delia wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight.


	9. Consolation Prize

The fifth-round match ended up being delayed for hours as Ash escaped from Team Rocket and hurried back to the stadium before having to forfeit. The two friends battled hard, but Ash ended up suffering a humiliating defeat when Charizard refused to battle Richie's Pikachu, Sparky. 

Ash took the loss hard, refusing to get out of bed the next morning even when his friends tried to cheer him up. Then he and Misty got into a terrible fight. Pikachu tried to restore order by stunning everyone with an electric shock. When Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum awoke, they decided to skip Richie's sixth-round battle in favor of returning to the hotel to recover from nearly being electrocuted.

Mrs. Ketchum took the loss pretty hard, too.

After he had rested for a little while, Professor Oak knocked at the door to Delia's room. He had been worried about her ever since Ash's defeat. 

When she opened the door, it was obvious that she had been crying. 

"Are you all right, Delia?" he asked. 

"Yes. I mean no. I just can't stop thinking about Ash," she sniffled. "I feel so helpless. I want to help him feel better, but nothing I do or say seems to work."

"This is something that Ash will have to work out on his own," he said gently. "Ash suffered a painful defeat, but hopefully he'll learn from his mistakes and become a better Pokémon trainer as a result."

"Ash was always too sure of himself, even as a baby. I just don't want him to end up like…like..." she stammered.

"Like his father?"

"Yes," she said quietly and then broke down crying.

Professor Oak gently took her in his arms and held her as she wept.

"There, it's all right…shhh…," he whispered as he stroked her hair.

She cried for about ten minutes, then sniffed loudly before wiping her face on his lab coat.

"I'm afraid I've ruined your lab coat," she said.

"Don't worry about that. I have dozens of them," he said. "Feel better?"

She nodded.

"Good," he said and hugged her.

"Thank you, Samuel. Thank you for being my friend…for listening to me…for taking care of me…for holding me like this," she said with a sigh.

"That's what friends are for," he said softly, then gently kissed her on the lips. 

"I love you, Delia," he whispered.

"I love you too, Samuel," she whispered back.


	10. Celebration

Richie lost his sixth-round battle but he remained upbeat about the whole thing, contrasting sharply with how Ash has reacted to his defeat the night before. Ash was inspired by Richie's attitude and decided that if Richie could be a good sport about it, then so could he. Everyone was pleased with Ash's cheerful mood that night at dinner.

Now that the competition was over, Samuel and Delia were able to relax and enjoy not having to worry about Ash. They held hands during the closing ceremony and even sneaked a kiss during the fireworks, figuring that no one would see in the darkened stadium. Afterwards, they decided to continue the celebration by returning to their hotel and ordering a bottle of champagne. Delia squealed as the cork of the champagne bottle made a resounding "pop" when Samuel opened it and poured each of them a glass. The two of them were in high spirits.

"What shall we toast first?" Delia said as she picked up her glass.

"To Ash," Professor Oak said, raising his glass. "His placement in the top sixteen makes him the best competitor to come out of Pallet Town in five years."

"To Ash." Delia echoed as she took a sip of her champagne then sat down on the edge of her bed.

"That boy has a bright future as a Pokémon trainer ahead of him, Delia. Matter of fact," he said as he sat down beside her on the bed, "I propose another toast to Ash's mother, who has done a fine job of raising her son."

She blushed. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me."

"Your turn," he said, sipping his champagne.

"Okay," Delia said, raising her glass. "To Professor Samuel Oak, who's the reason why my son did so well in his first Pokémon League championship."

"You flatter me, Delia," he said with embarrassment. "All I did was give the boy a Pikachu and a few words of advice here and there." 

"You did much more than that, Samuel. You encouraged him, inspired him to follow his dream." She paused for a second. "Just like you've always encouraged and inspired me. I'll always be grateful to you for that. And for your friendship."

Samuel was touched by her kind words.

"To you, Delia," he said as he moved closer to her. "Your friendship, your warmth, your beauty. You've been the best thing to come along for me in years."

"Oh, Samuel," she whispered as he put down his glass and took her face in his hands.

"I mean it, Delia. I love you."

"I love you too, Samuel," she whispered as he kissed her softly.

At first they kept things fairly innocent between them, but as the evening wore on their kissing grew more and more passionate.

"Delia," he murmured between kisses, "do you want to stop?" 

"Stop? Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"Because in a few moments I won't be able to," he said, gently brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.

"Then don't," she said as she leaned over and kissed him with even more passion than before, pulling him down on the bed beside her.

"Delia, are you absolutely sure that this is what you want?" He hesitated as he was suddenly overcome by a wave of insecurity. "I…I haven't…been with anyone since Rose died."

"That's okay," she smiled. "There hasn't been anyone for me since Will, either."

"But I…I'm so much older than you are," he continued. "Wouldn't you rather be with someone younger?"

Even though he was in better shape than most men his age and being with her definitely made him feel younger, it still didn't change the fact that he was old enough to be her father. He loved her so much; the last thing in the world he wanted to do was disappoint her. 

"Samuel," she said as she reached up and slowly ran her hand through his hair, "the only man I want to be with is you." She had sensed his insecurity. But she didn't care about how old he was; in her mind, the age difference between them had never really been an issue. All she cared about was what was in his heart. She knew that he loved her and she loved him; that was all that really mattered.

"And I know exactly how to prove it to you," she said as she slowly ran her hand down his face, letting her palm rest against his cheek, echoing the gesture at the park bench a couple of days before. With her other hand, she reached up and started unbuttoning his shirt.

---

The next morning, Professor Oak awoke but the place in the bed next to him was empty.

__

Was it all a dream? he wondered groggily.

He then realized that he wasn't wearing any pajamas.

Just then, Delia, who was wearing nothing but a lab coat, came in with two trays of breakfast.

"Rise and shine," she said cheerfully. "I ordered room service."

She placed one tray in his lap, then sat down beside him and took the other tray. "I couldn't find my robe, so I put on your lab coat. You should've seen the waiter's face when I answered the door," she said with a giggle.

"I think it looks much better on you than it does me," Professor Oak smiled. 

"I'd forgotten how hungry I get after…well, after," she smiled shyly and blushed.

He leaned over and kissed her.

"You've made an old man very happy," he said.

"Oh, I don't think of you as old at all, Samuel," she smiled as she moved her tray to snuggle contentedly against him. "And besides, with age comes experience, you know. And what is it they say about experience? It's the best...um..." She had momentarily lost her train of thought. "Well, it's the best, trust me."

And he had proven it to her last night. He had been so kind and gentle, taking his time so that they could both enjoy the pleasure of finally being together...and it had made her want him even more.

After they finished eating, Delia glanced at the clock. "We don't have to check out of the hotel for a while yet. That gives us plenty of time to do some…exploring."

"I know what I want to explore, but I'll need my lab coat back first," he said with a mischievous grin as he leaned over and started to unbutton her coat.


	11. Pallet Party Predicament

After returning to Pallet Town, Mrs. Ketchum wanted to throw Ash a party to celebrate his success in his first Pokémon League Championship. Professor Oak thought that it was a fine idea and insisted on having the party at his house since he had more lawn space. He spent the day humming a tune while overseeing the party preparations. His research assistants noticed the change in Professor Oak when he returned from Indigo Plateau; he seemed happier, more lighthearted. Mrs. Ketchum was, too. Even though Ash, Misty, and Brock were staying with her again and creating much more housework for her, she breezed through the day with a big smile on her face.

Except for an attempt by Team Rocket to crash the party, everyone had lots of fun; the weather was perfect, and there was loads of food, music, and dancing. Professor Oak sought out Mrs. Ketchum and found her sitting on a blanket under the white apricorn tree with Mimie.

"There you are, Mrs. Ketchum!" he exclaimed as he approached her. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Would you care to dance?"

"Dance? Don't you think someone might suspect something if they saw us together?"

"Nonsense," he said reassuringly. "There's nothing suspicious about the host of the party dancing with the mother of the guest of honor. As a matter of fact, it would be rather rude of me not to ask, so I must insist." He took her hand and helped her up.

She smiled at him. "I'll be back in a little while, Mimie," she told her Pokémon as they joined the other couples dancing on the lawn.

Brock, Misty, and Ash were seated with their Pokémon on the lawn, eating. 

"Hey, look, Ash," Brock said as he nudged him. "Your mom and Professor Oak are dancing together."

"So what?" Ash said disinterestedly. "He's just being nice to her."

"I think it's sweet," said Misty as she watched them dance. 

"Sweet?" Ash yelled. "You take that back, Misty! My mom and Professor Oak are just neighbors and that's all!"

"I don't know, Ash," Brock said, "they do look rather….ahhhh!" Brock had just noticed the pretty blonde who was serving refreshments to the guests. Brock jumped up and took her hand.

"My name is Brock and I'll be your server today. Let me help you with that heavy tray." He followed her around the lawn with a goofy look on his face.

Misty and Ash rolled their eyes. Brock was hopeless when it came to pretty girls.

Misty was silent for a moment, debating whether or not to tell Ash about what she had seen at the fountain in Indigo Plateau.

She finally spoke up. "Ash, have you ever noticed that your mom and Professor Oak seem pretty happy whenever they're together?"

"Geez, Misty," Ash exclaimed in exasperation. "What is it with you girls and all this mushy stuff? They're just friends, like we are. And believe me, there's nothing like that going on between us…just like there's nothing going on between them. See?" The dance had ended and Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum had gone their separate ways. "You need to quit imagining things. Come on, Pikachu." Ash and Pikachu went over to see what Bulbasaur and Squirtle were doing.

Misty's blood began to boil. _Figure it out for yourself then, Ash Ketchum_, she fumed as she viciously stabbed at her pasta salad. 

---

After the party, Ash, Misty, and Brock set off on another adventure, this time to the Orange Islands. Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak stood side by side and waved until they were out of sight. 

"There goes my baby," she sniffed. She looked down and Professor Oak was holding his handkerchief out to her.

"That's okay," she said. "It's not as bad this time as it was the last time Ash left."

"Why is that?" he asked.

"Because when Ash left home the first time, he was all by himself. Now he has his friends to keep him company. Just like I have Mimie…"

"And you have me, too," he said softly as he put his arm around her waist.

"Yes," she smiled and leaned against him.

"Much as I hate to leave you, I really do need to get back to the lab," he said reluctantly.

"Would you like some cookies and lemonade before you go?" she asked.

"Mrs. Ketchum, I think that would be a fine idea," he said with a smile.

Side by side, the two of them walked up the steps to the Ketchum house and shut the door.


	12. Revelation

Professor Oak slumped over the laptop and buried his head in his hands.

__

Please find her, Ash.

He and Delia had been lovers for quite some time. Just about everyone in Pallet Town knew about their relationship, but thought it was cute how they continued calling each other "Professor Oak" and "Mrs. Ketchum" as if they were pretending that no one else knew. A couple of people disapproved of their relationship, saying that Professor Oak was robbing the cradle by being involved with a woman nearly half his age. But Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum were well-liked by nearly everyone in the community and most of Pallet Town was genuinely happy that the two widowed neighbors had fallen in love. Several people had even wondered why it had taken them so long to get together.

But now she was gone, taken by Entei…again. 

They had first encountered the legendary Pokémon a little over a year ago when he had kidnapped Delia to serve as a substitute mother for their young friend Molly Hale. Professor Oak remembered how angry he had been when he had discovered that Ash had gone off to rescue his mother without him. He thought that Ash would've had more sense by now, but the boy had done it again. The phone call a few minutes ago had been Ash saying that he was on his way to rescue his mother….déjà vu. After chewing out Ash for his impulsive behavior, Professor Oak eventually calmed down and grudgingly admitted that he could best help Delia by staying back at the lab and researching the information they had obtained from their last encounter with Entei.

Professor Oak slowly sat up and took a small box out of the pocket of his lab coat. He had been carrying it around with him for a month, waiting for just the right moment to propose to her. And now he may never have the chance.

__

Please find her, Ash.

---

After another agonizing night, Professor Oak painfully awoke. He had fallen asleep at his workstation again, trying desperately to figure out how to find a way to get Delia back. Endless hours of research for nothing.

There was a knock at the door of his lab.

__

Go away, he thought. 

"Hey, Professor Oak!" 

It was Ash. His heart leapt.

"Hey, Professor Oak! We got my Mom back and she wants…"

Ash didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence as Professor Oak opened the door and ran past him to embrace Delia.

__

Huh? Ash thought. He knew that his mom and Professor Oak were good neighbors, but this seemed a little more than neighborly.

"Oh, Delia, I'd thought I'd lost you forever," he gasped as held her tight, almost crushing her.

"Shh, Samuel. I'm all right." Tears started in her eyes as she stroked his hair. "I'm here now."

__

And since when have Professor Oak and my mom been on a first-name basis?

Ash looked up. Now Professor Oak and his mom were kissing!

__

What was going on here? Maybe his mom was still under the effects of Entei's hypnosis.

"Uh, Mom…are you feeling all right?"

Delia wiped her eyes and looked at her son, who was staring at them with his mouth wide open.

"It's all right, Ash. Professor Oak…Samuel and I have been seeing each other for some time. We tried to tell you, but you've been gone so long on your Pokémon journey and we didn't think this was something we could just discuss over the phone."

"And whenever you did return to Pallet Town, something else would come up and we never had the chance to talk to you about us," Professor Oak said as he embraced her again.

Something suddenly clicked in Ash's brain. It all made sense now. He had called Professor Oak's lab a couple of times and had been surprised when his mom had answered. She had explained that she had been helping Professor Oak clean up the lab or had just stopped by to visit. 

And then there was that one really weird phone call.

Ash had phoned Professor Oak in the middle of the day to talk about the strange way Pikachu had been acting lately, and had been surprised when he answered wearing a bathrobe.

"Hi, Professor Oak. What are you doing in a bathrobe? It's the middle of the day!"

"Uh…uh..," he stammered, quickly thinking of an appropriate response. "I wasn't feeling well and decided to go lie down for a little nap." He felt his face turning red.

"Oh. Now that you mention it, you do look a little flushed. And you have some kind of funny-looking red mark on your neck."

Professor Oak cringed. Ash had noticed the hickey Delia had given him a few minutes ago. 

Professor Oak quickly changed the subject. "Never mind that, Ash. What did you call me for?"

"Pikachu's been acting kind of strange lately. He's been…do you have a minute, Professor? This could take a while to explain."

Professor Oak could hear Delia coming down the hall.

"Uh, actually, I think I probably should go lie back down for a while," he said hurriedly. "Why don't you e-mail me your question about Pikachu, and I'll take a look at it when I'm feeling better."

"Um, okay. Hey, Professor…"

"GottagonowbyeAsh,." Professor Oak quickly hung up the phone as Delia entered the room wearing nothing but one of his old lab coats.

Ash could've sworn that he had heard his mother's voice in the background as he hung up the phone, but he concluded that it must've been a bad connection.

Except he now realized that it hadn't been.

__

Oh my gosh! Professor Oak and his mom had been in the middle of…of…

Ash suddenly felt sick.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" His mom was looking at him with concern. Ash had turned pale and his knees were shaking.

Ash made a gagging noise and fell over in a dead faint. It had all been too much for him to handle.

"Ash!" Delia knelt down next to her son and started shaking him.

"Let me take a look at him, Delia." Professor Oak knelt by Ash and examined the unconscious boy. "He'll be all right in a few minutes. He's just fainted, that's all."

__

Well, as long as I'm already on my knees….

Professor Oak reached into the pocket of his lab coat and handed the small box to Delia. Her eyes opened wide when she realized what it was.

"Delia," he began, "when I thought that I'd lost you forever, I was certain that my world had come to an end, too. But now that you're back, I know now that I don't ever want to lose you again."

She gasped when she opened the box and saw the sparkling diamond ring.

Professor Oak took a deep breath. "Delia, will you marry me?"

"Oh, yes, Samuel! Yes!" 

As he slipped the ring on her finger, Ash awoke.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked groggily.

"Oh, Ash, sweetie! Look!" She waved the diamond ring in his face. "Professor Oak and I are getting married!"

Ash's eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted again.


	13. The Next Generation

Professor Laurel Oak looked up from the computer and rubbed her eyes. Ever since she had taken over operation of the research lab, she had constantly been amazed at just how much work her father had done each day. Even though he was now officially retired, Professor Oak still kept himself busy with the day-to-day operations of the lab and the surrounding preserve. Right now he was at the ranch with Gary and Brock checking out the latest additions to the Tauros herd. Upon his retirement, Professor Oak had turned over the lab to his daughter and given control of the ranch and preserve to his grandchildren, Gary and May, and May's husband, Brock. It had been a wise decision. After all, it was Gary who had been almost solely responsible for collecting the over one thousand Pokémon that roamed the grounds surrounding the lab. Many people had even suspected that when Gary had married Lara Laramie last year, he had done it just to get his hands on her famous herd of Ponyta and Rapidash. The jury was still out on that one, but it did seem as if the two genuinely loved each other. If nothing else, they both were passionate about establishing the largest herd of horse-type Pokémon in the country.

But they couldn't have done it without Brock's help. His reputation as a Pokémon breeder was legendary, and people came from miles around to see the famous livestock of the Po-ké Corral. Now that his and May's twin sons were old enough to help around the ranch, Brock was teaching them everything he knew about raising Pokémon. May handled the business side of the house: she kept track of the finances, ordered the feed and supplies, set up the tours of the ranch, and saw to it that everything kept running smoothly. It was a successful partnership all around.

"I hate to bother you, honey, but could you keep an eye on Brooke and Will while I go help Mimie with the dishes?" Delia Oak's head popped through the open door of the lab. Even at sixty-four, people still commented on the uncanny resemblance between mother and daughter, although her auburn hair was now almost completely gray.

"Sure, Mom," Laurel said as she turned off the computer. "Besides, Tracey's picking me up for lunch in a few minutes."

Tracey had still been working at the lab when she was born, but had left soon thereafter to study Pokémon ecology. He eventually took over Professor Ivey's lab when she retired, and he and Laurel frequently collaborated on research projects over the phone and computer. But it wasn't until they had finally met face-to-face at a conference last year that sparks had flown between them. She had finished presenting her paper on the genetic similarities between Venomoth and Butterfree when Tracey had come up to her, handed her a rather flattering sketch he had done of her while she was presenting her talk, and asked her out for coffee. They had been dating ever since then.

"Aunt Laurie! Look at me! I'm gonna catch a Charizard!" Five-year old Brooke was standing on the couch, getting ready to hurl a Poké ball at her imaginary Pokémon. One-year old Will toddled up to his aunt and handed her his stuffed Magikarp.

"Thank you, Will," Laurel said as she kissed her nephew's red head.

Laurel heard the front door open. At the sound of footsteps, Brooke ran screaming into the hall.

"Daddy!" 

Ash Ketchum picked up his dark-haired daughter. "What Pokémon did you capture today, Brooke?" he asked as he hugged her.

"I caught a Venusaur, a Ninetails, a Wigglytuff, and I almost caught a Charizard!"

"Looks like we have another Pokémon Master in the making," he laughed as he whirled his daughter around in a circle.

Laurel smiled. After becoming one of the youngest persons ever to become a Pokémon Master, Ash had returned to Pallet Town to establish the first gymnasium there. Ash had also successfully petitioned the Indigo League to accept Pallet Town's Power Badge as their ninth required badge for membership in the Pokémon League. When she was growing up, Laurel had idolized her older half-brother and spent a couple of years trying to follow in his footsteps. She enjoyed being a Pokémon trainer and even competed in the Indigo League championship one year (losing in the third round), but her heart was with research. She had grown up in the lab and knew every inch of the grounds and every Pokémon that lived there. Her father had started teaching her the names of the Pokémon as soon as she could talk and by the time she was six, she was helping him out in the lab on a regular basis. After becoming one of the youngest persons ever to graduate from Pokémon University, Laurel returned home and the Professors Oak still continued to write research papers together. 

"Ma-ma!" Will toddled over to his mother as she entered the room. Misty bent down and scooped up her son. 

"Don't forget Magikarp," Laurel said as she handed the toy fish to Misty.

"Thanks, Laurie," Misty said as she handed the toy fish back to her son. "By the way, I've got some interesting numbers on the Politoed samples I took yesterday. I'll stop by later and give them to you."

Dr. Misty Ketchum had a Ph.D. in Pokémon marine biology and oversaw the water Pokémon research at the lab. She and her sister-in-law frequently collaborated on research projects.

A yellow mouse Pokémon scampered out from behind Misty.

"Pi-ka-chu!"

"Hello, Flash," Laurel said as the Pokémon scampered up to her. Flash was a descendant of Ash's Pikachu, who had died of extreme old age a few years ago. Ash had built a memorial to his first Pokémon in the courtyard of the Pallet Town Gymnasium, so all young trainers would see it as they first entered the gym. 

__

That's the real power, he had told her. _The power of love_.

"Hey, Misty, we'd better get going. It's lunchtime," Ash said. "I'm starving!"

"Daddy," Brooke chimed in, "can we stop at Rocket Burger and get a Meowth Meal? And we've gotta bring Togetic back a Koffing Kone!"

Misty rolled her eyes. She still couldn't believe how well Jessie and James had done with their Rocket Burger franchise.

"Yeah, Rocket Burgers!" Ash's stomach growled. 

"Okay, we'll head to Rocket Burger," sighed Misty. "See you later, Laurie." 

"See ya', Sis!" Ash said as he carried his daughter down the hall with Flash following at his heels.

Laurel could hear Brooke singing the Rocket Burger jingle all the way out the door.

"To protect the world from hunger and thirst,

Our food's not bad, at least not the worst…."

Laurel went back to the kitchen to see her mother. Delia had just finished the dishes and Mimie was going to the living room to vacuum up after the kids.

"Hey, Mom! Ash and Misty just took the kids to Rocket Burger, so I'm going to go get ready for lunch with Tracey."

"Okay, dear," Delia said as her daughter ran upstairs. Just then, a smiling and disheveled Professor Oak swung open the back door.

"Samuel, what in the world have you been doing?" Delia exclaimed at the sight of her husband. "I thought you'd be back earlier."

"Oh, Lara wanted me to see her new filly, so we went down to the lower pasture. Of course, I had to try out the new horse; her name's Solarbeam, by the way. I then challenged Lara to a race around the Fire Pokémon Preserve, and we obviously lost track of time. I won, by the way," he said with a triumphant grin.

Delia shook her head. Her husband might be ninety years old, but he sure didn't act like it.

"Where's Laurel?" he said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Upstairs, getting ready for her lunch date with Tracey." The smile faded on her husband's face.

"I'm still not so sure about those two. Tracey's much too old for her."

Delia smiled. "As I recall, you're twenty-six years older than I am."

"That's different, Delia. We were older when we got married. And Laurel's just…"

"Twenty-five years old, Samuel. She's an adult. Besides, you know as well as I do that Tracey's a very nice young man and he makes Laurel happy." She took his hand. "After all, we turned out all right, didn't we?"

"Yes, we certainly did," he smiled and stood up. "After all that horseback riding today, I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a little nap. Care to join me?"

Delia knew that gleam in his eye.

"Samuel, it's eleven-thirty in the morning!" 

"So what?" He put his arms around his wife's waist. "I might be an old man, but I'm not dead yet." He started nibbling on her neck.

"Samuel, stop!" she squealed. "Stop it! You really are a dirty old man," she said as she playfully pushed him away.

He started out the kitchen. "So, will you be joining me?" 

Delia gave him a mischievous look. "Okay, but first, let me have your lab coat since I know how much you like seeing me in it."

She gave him a playful swat as they walked down the hall towards the stairs. Laurel was standing at the front door with Tracey.

"Hello, Professor Oak. Mrs. Oak." He nodded in their direction.

"Hello, Tracey," giggled Delia. "Would you like to come in for a minute?"

"Uh, that's okay. I don't want to..uh..interrupt anything." He had noticed that Mrs. Oak was wearing her husband's lab coat.

"Yeah, we're going out to eat anyway," said Laurel hurriedly as she stepped out the door. "See you later." Her parents still embarrassed her sometimes the way the acted.

Once outside on the porch, Tracey turned to her with a naughty grin and said, "Hey, Laurie, do you think we'll still be doing it when we're their age?"

Her mouth opened in shock. "Tracey!!" She smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"Ow! Hey! What did I say?" 

Laurel shook her head as the two went down the sidewalk.

Back inside, the frown had returned to Professor Oak's face.

Delia slipped her arm around her husband. "They'll be fine, Samuel. You've got to let her go sometime."

"She'll always be my little girl, no matter how old she is," he said sadly.

"True. And I'll still be your big girl, no matter how old I am." She kissed him. 

"Come on, old man," she said, leading him up the stairs. "Now that we've got the house to ourselves, let's enjoy it….or are you so old that you've already forgotten what we were planning on doing?"

The gleam was back in his eye. "Race you up the stairs!" he said as he ran past her.

"Hey! No fair! You cheated!" Delia said as she ran after him. He was pretty fast for an old man.


	14. Endings and Beginnings

As the first snowflakes of December slowly drifted down, the elderly woman stood staring at the fresh grave. In her arms was a small, gurgling, dark-haired baby. 

The headstone had been delivered that morning and she wanted to see how it looked. She read the inscription over and over:

__

Samuel Oak, beloved husband, father, and grandfather….

His mind had still been sharp, even at 106. He had told her that he was going to stay up late to do some research on his new theory behind Celebi's ability to time travel. He had fallen asleep at his computer like he had so often done during these late-night brainstorms…and that was where she had found him the next morning. 

…and now she was alone. 

She picked a single flower out of the bouquet on his grave, then slowly walked through the cemetery until she came to another familiar spot.

__

Isn't it ironic, she thought as she placed the flower on her first husband's grave. _Will and I married just out of college and we had only two years together. Samuel was well into his sixties when we married and we had over forty years together. Life is pretty unpredictable. _

The baby in her arms started to fuss and whimper. He was the son of her granddaughter Brooke and Jessie and James' son, Skylar.

"Come on, Samuel. Let's go home. It's time for your nap." 

As she slowly walked away, she held him tightly against her. But he wasn't all that she had left now.

THE END


End file.
